Collapsible container



p 1935- B. B. LEUSTIG 2,015,601

COLLAPSIBLE CONTAINER Filed Oct. 6, 1951 BEN/V0 '3. uusr/a dbtomqs Patented Sept. 24, 1935 PATENT OFFICE COLLAPSIBLE CONTAINER Benno B. Leustig, Cleveland, Ohio, assignor to The Self Sealing Cap Company, Cleveland, Ohio, a

corporation of Ohio Application October 6, 1931, Serial No. 567,231

6 Claims.

This invention relates to collapsible containers or tubes for storing and dispensing various materials, either in a liquid, semi-liquid or paste form, and is primarily concerned with the provision of a particularly advantageous type of automaticallyacting dispensing cap for such containers.

Automatically-acting dispensing caps for collapsible containers are known, but such devices as heretofore constructed possessed certain disl0 advantages which considerably handicapped their adoption by the trade, among which may be mentioned their lack of ability to efiiciently maintain a seal on the contents of the container due to clogging of operating parts and failure to thereafter perform their function; expense of parts and construction so that the cost of the cap becomes too great relative to the cost of the container and its contents, and other inherent structural disadvantages which have rendered them impracticable for general use or has confined their use to a certain material or materials.

The primary objects of the present invention, therefore, are to provide an automatically-acting dispensing cap for collapsible containers which is eflicient in operation while at all times maintaining an cflicient seal on the container, lends itself to a wide range of materials, embodies a minimum number of parts, and is relatively low in cost of construction.

With the foregoing and other objects and advantages in View, the invention consists in the preferred construction and arrangement of the several parts which will be more fully hereinafter described and claimed.

5 In the drawing- Figure 1 is a view in section and elevation of a collapsible container or tube and cap therefor embodying the features of one form of my invention;

Fig. 1a is a detail perspective view of one of the parts of the cap assembly; and,

Fig. 1b is a view taken on the line 1b1b, Fig. 1;

Fig. 2 is a view in transverse vertical section of the cap extremity of a collapsible container showing a modification in structure; and Fig. 2a. is a detail perspective view of one of the parts of Fig. 2.

Referring to the drawing, the body of the container or tube is indicated at I, said body being comprised of suitable material to render it collapsible and terminates at its outlet extremity in a neck 2, the latter being given different shapes to accommodate certain modifications in structure as shown in the drawing.

In Fig. l, the neck 2 is formed with an annular groove 3 and a flange 4 around its lower portion, said neck terminating in a tapered nozzle extremity 1 which is formed with one or more ou let orifices or holes 8 in the tapered side walls thereof. The cap assembly comprises a cap or closure member 9, which is substantially of the same general contour as the neck 2 and nozzle 9 and is provided with an outlet orifice I!) in the nozzle extremity thereof, a spring H, and a retainer ring or ferrule l2. By having the nozzle extremity I and end wall of the cap 9 of substantially the same contour, they will fit close together when the cap is in sealing position and prevent pocket formations between the cap and nozzle and segregation of the mass within the tube, with consequent hardening of the segregated substance, in certain instances, and inoperativeness of the cap assembly. This construction also tendsto a more free action of the parts when extrusion pressure is applied to the tube. The cap 9 and ring or ferrule l 2 are formed with spring-retaining flanges 9a and [2a respectively. The ferrule I2 is preferably formed with a plurality of resilient fingers I21), see Fig. 1a, which terminate in inwardly directed prongs l2c adapted to engage over the flange 4, the latter being formed with a tapered face 4m to facilitate assembly.

The tube or container I may be readily cast of suitable material and filled in the usual well known manner. The parts of the assembly are light, cheap and easily formed in large quantities. To assemble, it is only necessary to place the cap 9 with the spring II on the nozzle 1 around the neck 2, then snap the ferrule in position, and the tube is ready for service.

The operation of this form of dispensing-cap will be apparent. When pressure is applied to the contents of the tube I by squeezing the latter, the cap member 9 is forced from its seat against 40 the resistance of spring 'II and the contents of the tube pass through the holes 8 and out through the outlet orifice It]. .It will be seen that the spring II is maintained clear of the contents of the tube and will not be clogged thereby. This 5 form of dispensing cap is adaptable to practically any desired character of material ordinarily: vended in collapsible containers.

In Fig. 2, the construction is slightly modified with respect to Fig. 1. In this instance the con- 5 tour of the nozzle 1 and cap 9 is more rounded, the engaging faces of the said cap and nozzle lying in slightly different planes so that the end edge of the cap 9 around the orifice Ill bites the nozzle and seals at that point, the trapped mate- 55 rial being forced back toward the openings 8. The fingers l2b of the ferrule l2 are preferably four in number and diametrically opposed (note the detail view of the ferrule in Fig. 2a). The operation and manner of assembling is substantially as in Fig. 1.

In both of the forms shown, the closure member is normally urged against its seat by a spring which is fully housed and protected. This spring-pressed type of closure member is of advantage in that it never becomes unbalanced, or passes dead center such as a diaphragm type of cap. The parts of the cap'assembly may be manufactured and assembled at a low cost which is in accord with the cost of the container.

The spring I I may be substituted by any desired type of resilient member, such as rubber or the like, which is considered the equivalent of a spring, the invention not being limited in this respect.

What I claim is:

l. The combination with a collapsible container having a neck at one extremity formed with one or more discharge orifices, of a closure cap having a discharge orifice at one end thereof, and a flange at its opposite end, a spring fitting over said closure cap, and means for retaining said spring and cap in assembled position on said neck, said retaining means serving as an abutment at one end for said spring and at its opposite end engaging said neck.

2. The combination with a collapsible container having a neck at one extremity thereof formed with one or more discharge orifices, of a closure cap fitted over said neck portion of the tube and having the same general contour as the latter, a spring fitting over said cap, and a retainer ring fitted over said spring and attached to the neck of the tube, said retainer ring and cap being formed with co-acting flanges for holding the spring in operative position.

3. The combination with a collapsible container having a neck at one extremity thereof formed with an annular groove, of a closure cap fitting over said neck, said cap and wall of the neck being formed with co-acting discharge orifices which are normally out of registration with one another, a spring fitting over said cap, and a retainer member fitting over said spring and formed with resilient portions adapted to engage in said groove.

4. The combination with a collapsible container having a neck at one extremity formed with an annular groove and a flange, of a closure cap having a lower flanged edge, said cap and the wall of said neck being formed with oo-acting outlet orifices, a spring fitted around said cap, and a retainer member fitted around said spring and having resilient prongs adapted to engage in the groove of said neck, said retainer member being formed with an annular flange adapted to coact with the flange of said cap to retain the spring in operative position.

5. An automatically operating closure cap assembly for a collapsible tube container having a hollow neck at one extremity formed with one or more discharge orifices, comprising a closure cap, a spring, and a retainer member fitted over said cap and spring and adapted to detachably engage said tube and hold the cap and spring in assembled position on said neck.

6. An automatically operating closure cap assembly for a collapsible tube container having a neck at one extremity formed with one or more discharge orifices, comprising a closure cap formed with a flange at the lower edge thereof, a spring adapted to be applied over said cap, and a retainer member fitted over said cap and spring and formed with resilient portions adapted to detachably engage said tube and hold the spring and cap in operative assembled position thereon. 40

BENNO B. LEUS'IIG. 

